Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (D-WA), one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, won reelection against Republican Joe Kent.
The Associated Press called the race for Perez at 6:36 p.m. on Saturday, with 95% of the vote counted. Perez received 52.1% of the vote to Kent’s 47.9%.
Perez frequently breaks with the House Democratic caucus, particularly on votes related to the border and the economy. She’s been a consistent critic of her own party, telling the New York Times in July that they “don’t respect people that work for a living.”
Perez was one of the only House Democrats to decline to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race. She later suggested Harris didn’t care about the working class in her district after she appeared to roll her eyes following a comment from Perez that the plastic garlands at her residence could be grown “where I live.”
Perez’s lack of endorsement was likely a strategic move, as her district is one of the most conservative held by Democrats. The Cook Political Report places her district at R+5, the most Republican outside of fellow Blue Dog Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Mary Peltola (D-AK).
The Washington congresswoman narrowly won her first election in 2022 against Kent, 50.1% to 49.3%, after he had knocked out longtime Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the primary.
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But with the help of a campaign war chest that’s nearly $10 million in total, far larger than Kent’s $2.2 million, Perez won reelection by larger margins than in 2022. She fared much better than Peltola or Golden, who have faced more of a challenge in their bids. Golden has a narrow lead while Peltola is trailing by multiple points as neither race has been called.
Perez’s win will build Democratic hope that they will grab a House majority, though it is unlikely. Republicans lead 212 to 201 with 22 races yet to be called.
